Development of a Grid Enabled Occupational Data Environment

1
Development of a Grid Enabled Occupational Data
Environment

• GEODE www.geode.stir.ac.uk
• Paper presented to the Second International
  Conference on e-Social Science, Manchester, 28-30
  June 2006

2
Development of a Grid Enabled Occupational Data
Environment

• Introduction Occupational Information
• Activities in two areas
• Occupational Information Depository
• Access to occupational information
• Conclusions and prospects

3
Whats the problem?

• Indexed mainly by Occupational Unit Group (OUG).
  But
• Numerous alternative occupational data files
  (time country format)
• Alternative OUG schemes other index factors
  (employment status)
• Inconsistent translations to social
  classifications by file or by fiat
• Dynamic updates to occupational data resources
• Low uptake of existing occupational information
  resources
• Strict security constraints on users
  micro-social survey data

4
Some illustrative occupational information
resources
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GEODE Grid Enabled Occupational Data Environment

• Objectives
• Operate as a portal
• Facilitate linking occupational information to
  users datasets
• (initial focus on CAMSIS occupational information
  resources)
• GEODE data resources occupational information
  data curated as data service in Stirling,
  accessed by users via portal
• Create an international Virtual Organization for
  occupational data community
• Sharing, indexing, curating diverse
  occupational data
• Other analytical functions on occupational data?

6
GEODE Building blocks

• Globus Toolkit 4 (WSRF implementation)
• To build grid application services
• GridSphere 2.1.2 (portal framework JSR 168)
• OGSA-DAI (data access grid middleware)
• http//www.ogsadai.org.uk/
• DDI (social science metadata in XML)
• http//www.icpsr.umich.edu/DDI/
• Development environment
• Jakarta Tomcat 5.x
• Axis SOAP Engine
• Java

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2) Occupational Information Depository

• Grid as a system that (e.g. Foster et al 2001)
• coordinates resources that are not subject to
  centralized control
• uses standard, open, general-purpose protocols
  and interfaces
• delivers non-trivial qualities of service
• Use with occupational information depository
• Create a community where members have abstract
  access to heterogeneous resources securely, and
  achieve wider collaboration

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GEODE - architecture
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GEODE Occupational Information Depository

• Data Index Service uses DDI and OGSA-DAI
• User Requirements / Evaluations
• Three elements
• Semantic data curation
• Data storage
• Data indexing / access

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Occupational information depository

• 2.1) Semantic curation of occupational
  information
• Establish a GEODE-M meta-data subset (.xml)
• Founded on Michigan Data Documentation Initiative
• Minimise curation requirements to suit occ.
  information resource providers (pilots)
• Web proforma entry
• via Portal using Gridsphere

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Occupational information depository

• 2.2) Storing occupational information resources
• Considerations
• All data stored at GEODE vs Linkage to external
  data
• Proprietary software (plain text / SPSS / STATA)
• Rectangular index files vs other formats (e.g.
  pdf)
• index file format is easy and aids data storage
  / indexing
• Finite number of occ info. files / model of
  plurality of supply
• International community of data providers
• Negligible security restrictions (free online
  resources)
• Strategy
• GEODE-M proforma, suits all formats, completed
  online
• Translation to csv index file
• Modify GEODE-M record for index file
• (2) (3) performed automatically or manually
• Storage OGSA-DAI framework to link index files

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Occupational information depository

• OGSA-DAI implementations on prototype service
• Testing dynamic deployment of selected data
  resources (CAMSIS)
• Registration with index service (pilot tests)
• Searchable via portal service
• OGSA-DAI evaluations
• Foundations suited to collation of diverse occ
  data resources
• Also facilitates data access functions (see 3)
• Accepts GEODE-curated resources externally
  curated resources and potential connections with
  other Grid data services
• issues in support for alterative security levels
  to allow modification of initially deposited
  resources

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Occupational information depository

• 2.3) Virtual Organisation for Occupational
  Information Depository
• MDS (via GT4) to manage VO access to and
  distribution of occupational information
  resources
• International virtual community
• Dynamic data supply

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3) Access to Occupational Information
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GEODE portal access

• 3.1) File linkage mechanisms
• Multiple occupational variables on (A)
• Strict security constraints on (A)
• Inconsistent OUG formats on (A)
• Prototype linkages (e.g. CAMSIS) require full
  access to (A)
• Cater to limited access to (A)
• Investigate digital certification (X.509) to
  allow restricted data transfer A_OUGs
  A_context
• Requirements analysis
• Minimal user certification process
• Avoid application installation by users
• Users complex survey data (e.g. multiple
  occupational records)

Micro-social data (A) ? Occupational information
resources (B)
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GEODE portal access

• 3.2) Analytical queries
• Process analytical tasks on aggregate
  occupational information resources
• Summary data
• Coverage searches
• Summary statistics
• Consider more complex analyses?
• CAMSIS derivations
• Involve interactive data management tasks
• cf. Nesstar / Data Web

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4) Conclusions and prospects

• Occupational Information Depository
• OGSA-DAI implementations
• Index-files annotated through GEODE-M
• Some ongoing manual support requirements
• Portal framework
• Accessible GT4 / GSI structures
• Curation of occupational data
• Contribution widely used international resources
• Semantics data annotation (DDI)
• Generic data service
• Hinges on numeric OUG index cf. CASCOT
• other application areas e.g. Education,
  Geography

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GEODE, eScience and eSocial Science

• Some tentative comparisons...